Miley Cyrus managed to steal the show at the MTV Video Music Awards - sorry, Beyonce - with some help from her not-so-ordinary date.
The provocative pop star Instagrammed a picture of herself and the mystery man on their way to the awards, captioned "My date :) #jesse #myfriendsplace #mtvVMAs2014".
 
Keeping people talking, she kissed the nervous gentleman on the cheek while they waited for Cyrus's award category.
When it was revealed she had won best video of the year for her clip to Wrecking Ball, instead of taking the trophy herself she sent her date Jesse to grab it.
Jesse, originally from Oregon but recently a street-dweller in Los Angeles, then revealed to the crowd's surprise he was accepting Cyrus's award on behalf of America's homeless youth.
"I am accepting this award on behalf of the 1.6 million runaways and homeless youth in the United States who are starving and lost and scared for their lives," said Jesse, reading from cue cards, "I know, because I am one of those people."
"I have survived in shelters all over this city," he continued.
"The music industry will make over $7 billion this year, and outside these doors are 54,000 human beings who have no place to call home."
Jesse then directed everyone to the pop star's Facebook account, to help the city's homeless.
With that, Cyrus, 21, had upstaged Nicki Minaj, who suffered a wardrobe malfunction during her performance, and Iggy Azalea, who sang her song Black Widow from inside what looked like the middle of a giant spider web.
Cyrus, according to a representative, modeled Jesse's appearance after Marlon Brando's decision to have a woman named Sacheen Littlefeather accept his Best Actor Oscar for The Godfather in 1973 as a protest against the movie industry's treatment of Native Americans.
The singer tearfully watched Jesse on stage from the audience, while her representatives announced via Cyrus's social media accounts a Prizeo fundraising campaign for a Los Angeles-based organisation called My Friend's Place.
The organisation, which Cyrus has been mentioning more frequently on social media in the last week, provides help for some of the estimated 4000 homeless LA youth to find housing, jobs and education.
To help boost donations further, Cyrus offered a prize: the chance to travel with a friend to Brazil, to enjoy VIP tickets to her Bangerz show and also meet the singer herself.
For the cynical out there, this year's VMA performance is just that: a stunt, albeit a much more philanthropic one than last year's twerk-fest.
Cyrus, a former Disney Channel star, was informally advised in the effort by a well-positioned friend: Trevor Neilson, the president of G2 Investment Group and a co-founder of Global Philanthropy Group, which has designed charitable campaigns for artists including the singers Bono and Shakira in the past. Neilson declined to comment and would not disclose Jesse's surname, citing the young man's wishes.
In a statement, the singer said: "This is just the beginning for me, but we're going to get started now by focusing on My Friend's Place, a homeless centre for young people in Hollywood."
The former Hannah Montana star took her new friend to In 'N' Out Burgers to celebrate after the ceremony, sharing the moment with another Instagram snap.
 
"My Friend's Place is so grateful for Miley's genuine interest and involvement in supporting homeless youth in Los Angeles," added the executive director of My Friend's Place Heather Carmichael.
Carmichael told The New York Times Cyrus had met Jesse, who wished his last name to remain private, on a visit to the My Friend's Place centre on Tuesday.
The only other information Carmichael would reveal about Cyrus's new friend is that he had received help from the centre.
Cyrus, who appeared at the Video Music Awards in a relatively modest (for her) black leather halter top and pants, paid to put Jesse up at the BLVD Hotel & Spa in Studio City, California, over the weekend and bought him the black suit and white dress shirt he wore to Sunday's event. They rode together to the show in Cyrus' black SUV.
- with New York Times
